Pscience5 Forum

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

I have been reading the various posts (and articles found on this site and elsewhere) about connecting netbooks to networks etc, but I have found them confusing...

I wonder if it is possible if I describe my setup whether some pointers can be given.

At home I connect to the internet via broadband, through a router. This also serves as a hub for the two computers to connect through ethernet cables to create a local network. The router is also has VPN configured so that the computers can connect/access my office network (Windows Server 2003).

What I would like to do is connect by Psion7 (with personality module) to the router.

The specific queries I have are:
(1) Which type of network card do I need for the Psion 7?
(2) Will I be able to see the local network from the Psion 7 once connected?
(3) Will I abe able to see or access the office network via the VPN?
(4) WIll I be able to access the internet via the network card in the Psion 7 (like I do for the ordinary computers I use)?

Any help with these queries would be much appreciated.

Victor Warner

JonB · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 91 Location: Hull, UK

There's a couple of severe limitations with the netBook on a Windows network:

1. No access to other machines, you can't see there shared folders/disks. As a work around you can use FTP shares, I personally use FireZilla Server which let's me make sure that only my username, my password and my netBooks IP can get on the shares.

2. No shared printer access, and as far as I'm aware there's no workaround.

Now as far as your questions go:

1. I recommend the Buffalo card that Martin recommends on his WiFi article as it provides full compatibility. The NetStatRF program sees it, the WEP encryption works with it, and, obviously, the netBook can use it Smile

If its wired ethernet you mean the Psion Gold 56k Fax / 10Mb Ethernet card works lovely and you can get 'em of eBay for £10 or less.

2. The Psion cannot browse the network.

3. There are a few options VPN wise. You can always use the "VNC viewer" if that will work for you otherwise see this page (http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29547) for info on VPN software.

4. Yes, that's its only original useage, its one thing that work's (nearly) out of the box as it were.

Hope that helps.

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

JohnB

Thank you very much for the information.

I have a couple further of queries:

1. Psion Gold 56k Fax / 10Mb Ethernet card. I had look on ebay but nothing for this type of card came up. I already own a Psion Gold Card 56k + Fax multi-function PC Card (GSM & Isdn ready). There appeared to be several cards available for this type of card on ebay.

I guess the card I own is not the card you are referring to? If it is, it has the wrong kind of plug (ie telephone style not ethernet size plug)., is there an adapter?

2.

JonB · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 91 Location: Hull, UK

Hello.

Right, the card. You do need one that says Ethernet on it, if it doesn't it's no good. These cards are however multifunction so if it does say it then you may simply need another adaptor for it as you can get different ones to plug in the end to use the various functions of the card.

OK, so file transfer. The FireZilla software gets loaded onto the PC, you can set up which folders you want to be able to access using the FireZilla (or any other FTP server) software. Back on the Psion you can use the nFTP program loaded onto netBooks to get into the shared folders on your PC. The process is read/write, so you can copy in both directions. Martins final WiFi article explains this much better.

Hope that helped.

Jon

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

It has taken awhile to digest the information you kindly provided and look at the articles (and links) that Martin provided.

I have only one more question. Is the Psion Gold 56k Fax / 10Mb Ethernet card the only wired card that will work for the Netbook/Series 7 with personality module?

I have looked at http://www.epocfaq.co.uk/faqNetworks.htm and it appears to really only mention wireless cards, or should any PCCard (ie 16 bit) which is for ethernet work?

Victor Warner

JonB · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 91 Location: Hull, UK

Hello. I'm glad to hear I was of some help.

As for compatability, the card is NOT the ONLY one that will work but it IS one of the VERY few that will work. I think you get my drift Very Happy

This is the only card I am certain will work as it is the only one I have tested. If you check your Ethernet settings in the control panel you'll see very few drivers/settings present.

You are correct to say you'll need a 16-bit card, the PCMCIA port doesn't support 32-bit cardbus cards. As far as I know and can tell it also doesn't support 100MBit cards (anyone know for certain?) only the 10MBit ones (as in the recommended one).

Good luck

Jon

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

Thank you, Jon.

Now found a few on Ebay, but trying to get a response as to whether they come with the cable is difficult...

Victor

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

I have found this card on ebay which is described as:

Psion CardBus Goldcard 10/100 LAN PCMCIA / PC Card

(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Psion-C...PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

But the picture of the card states it is Cardbus, which I thought is the incompatible version if this type of card for a Netbook/7Book?

I would appreciate any clarification on this point.

Victor Warner

JonB · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 91 Location: Hull, UK

You are correct, this is Cardbus and won't work.

I've been caught out like this too, there are two types of this card. You are looking for the 10MB ONLY one, it should say "56k + Fax 10Mb Ethernet" on it. And it will say PC Card not CardBus.

Like this one for example: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Psion-Dacom...ategoryZ74953QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

JonB · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 91 Location: Hull, UK

Just to clarify, I meant that that one says "PC Card" on it. Obviously from the card description its only a Modem not an Ethernet card.

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

Jon

Thank you for the information and link. But the card seems to be for modem/fax.

Would this one

JonB · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 91 Location: Hull, UK

I would have thought so it provides a 10Mb connection on a 16bit PC Card. Thats pretty much the requirement.

Theres no way to guarantee it with it been a 7book rather than a netBook (it gets more complicated here with the difference in current being supplied to the PC Card slot) but thats basically the card I use so I'd say its your best bet.

Good luck,

Jon

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

I located a Psion Dacom 56K + Fax 10Mb Ethernet card and it works fine.

Thank you for your help with this.

Only the problem I have had so far is that I have not been able to access my firms exchange server through Opera. The format is "https://111.111.111.111/exchange".

Opera states (briefly) that it is connecting to the remote site and then setting up secure connection, but then stops and goes back to the page it displayinbg before "https://111.111.111.111/exchange" was issued.

With Psion own web browser, I cannot work out how to issue "https://111.111.111.111/exchange" as the program keeps inserting "http://" before this.

Any help with these couple of issues would be greatly appreciated.

Victor Warner

DavidF · Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

Hi Victor,

Regards Web - it doesn't support the https protocol; thats why we need Opera for all secure sites.

I don't know why you can't log on to the exchange server, but expect that it has something to do with the authentication protocol. I suggest a talk with your system administrator might be needed - Exchange can usually be set to accept different types of authentication so one should suit Opera.

David

Victor Warner · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

David,